Shoe shining machine



July 31, 1934.

J. T. UDEN 1,968,272

SHOE SHINING MACHINE Filed June 27, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jh cos UDEN INVENTOR my!" MMM ATTORNEY .July 31, 1934. J, T. UDEN 1,968,272

SHOE SHINING MACHINE 'Filed June 27, 193s 2 sheets-sheet 2 57' S /aa y 96 J7 ,1:1 "Ila, e

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ma 1-ln J4 I Leos Ups/v I 6o Y Y iNvENToR ATTORNEY Patented July 31, 1934 l PATENT OFFICE UNrTED STATES 4 Claims.

My invention relates to shoe shining machines and has particular reference to machines for dressing shoes with a dressing liquid or compound, and for shining and polishing them.

The object of my invention is to provide a machine of an automatic type, preferably operated by an electric motor, which in a single operation can apply dressing composition to a shoe, and then shine and polish the same. For this purpose I provide a housing with a supporting platform for a shoe, with a sprayer for the dressing liquid, and with rotary brushes'. The placement of a shoe on the platform sets the machine in operation, the sprayer covering the shoe with a 1.5 dressing liquid, and the brushes shining it. \At the same time the sprayer and the brushes move around the shoe so as to insure a uniform dressing and shining from all sides. I also provide means for pressing the brushes against the shoe and for turning or inclining them so as to follow the different shape or curvature of the shoe at `the toe and at the heel.

My invention is more fully described in the accompanying specification and drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my machine in an operative position (inoperative positionbeing indicated with dotted lines), Fig. 2 is a plan View of same partly in section, Fig. 3 is a detail view of the sprayer, Fig. 4 is an end view partly in section, Fig. 5 is a partial top view, Fig. -6 'is an enlarged view of the motor carriage, Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view of a brush with a turbine drive, Fig. 8 isa partial view of the top closing mechanism, Fig. 9 is a detail view of the arrangement for operating the nozzle cleaner, and Fig. 10 is a sectional top view of the motor carriage with the compressor drive.

My machine consists of a housing 1 with a platform 2 for a shoe 3 in the middle. 'I'he platform is inclined in its front or toe portion in order to facilitate the application of the polishing brushes. A block 3' provides a rest for the heel. The platform is mounted on a plunger rod 4 sliding in a tubular column 5 mounted on the floor of the housing. A spring 6 tends to keoep the platform raised, the lower end of the spring resting against a shoulder 7 on the support 5. A pin 8 in the plunger slides in a slot 9 in the tube 5 and limits '50 the vertical movement of the plunger, preventing it also from rotation. An endless rail 10 is mounted on brackets 11 attached to the walls of the housing. Carriages l2 with wheels 13 are placed on the rail. Cylinders 15 are attached to the carriages and have pistons on'plungers 14 attached to tubular bearings 16 for shafts 17 with cylindrical brushes 18'. Pulleys 19 are mounted on the shafts 17 for driving belts or chains 20. Pipes 21 serve to deliver compressed air to cylinders 15 for moving the brushes against the shoe 3. One of the carriages supports a bracket 22 for a sprayer 23. Pipes 24 and 25 deliver dressing liquid and compressed air respectively to the sprayer. A needle 26 is slidably iltted in the nozzle 27 of the sprayer through which the liquid is sprayed. A spring 28 keeps the needle away from the operating end of the nozzle. An arm 29 is pivotally mounted on a bracket 22 and engages with its upper end the end of the needle 26. The lower end of the arm 29 extends to the side 70. of the rail 10 and has a tapering enlargement 30 registering with the aperture 31 in the rail.

Every time when the end 30 slides into the hole 31, the arm 29 turns on its pivot under action of a spring 32, pressing against the end of the needle 26 and forcing it through the inner nozzle of the sprayer thereby cleaning it from any possible obstructions, such as hard particles occasionally'occurring in the dressing liquid. There are several holes 31 along the rail, so that the needle operates several times during one revolution of the sprayer. A second rail 33 is mounted at the bottom of the housing on blocks 34. This rail is also of an oval shape so as to follow approximately the outline of the platform (or of the shoe) and has two edges forming two tracks. A carriage 35 is supported on this rail by means of rollers 36. The outer rollers are mounted in swivels 37 in order to facilitate the movement of the carriage over the track which has dilferent curvature in its diiferent portions. The base of the carriage 35 represents a tank divided by a partition 38 into two tanks or wells 39 and 40, the first one being for the 'compressed air, and the second for the dressing liquid. An electric motor 41 is vmounted on the carriage and is provided with a worm 42 in mesh with a worm gear 43 mounted on a vertical shaft 44. The latter is journaled in bearings 45 and 46, the latter being supported on the motor. The shaft 44 be'- low the gear has a crank 47 engaging a slot 48 at the end of a rod 49 extending from a piston 50 of an air compressor 51. A pipe 52 connects the compressor with the air storage tank 39. A pulley 53 is mounted on the shaft 44 connected by a belt 54 with a pulley 55 on the end of a shaft 56 passing into the well 40 and provided with mixing blades 57.

A cogwheell 58 is mounted on the lower extension of the shaft 44 and is engaged by slots 59 in the rail 33, these slots forming a rack over which the wheel 58 may roll.

A pipe 60 leads from the tank 40 to a metering tank 61. A flexible pipe 24, branching out on its way, extends to the nozzles 27 of the sprayers 23. Valves 62 and 63 are placed in the pipe 60, and a valve 64-in the pipe 24. A pipe 65 connects the valve .63 with the air reservoir 39. The handles 66 of the valves are connected together by a bar 67, the latter being pivotally connected withA an arm 68 hinged at one end to a magnet 69 and provided with an iron amature 70. The pipe branches out into the'reservoir 40 for the dressing liquid and has a regulating valve 71. An air vent 72 is provided in the valve 63 between the pipes 60 and 65. The holes or passages in the valves are arranged so that with the rod 67 in its extreme left position the valve 62 is closed, valve 64 is open, and the valve 63 connects the air pipe 65 with the metering tank 61. When the bar 67 is shifted to theright (Fig. 6), the valve 62 becomes open, valve 64 closes, and the valve 63 opens the passage through the pipe 60 for the liquid, but bypasses the air from the tank39 through the pipe65 into the atmosphere through the vent 72 for which purpose the valve has an extra side slot 73. A spring 74 tends to keep the bar 67 shifted to the right position. The magnet 69 is connected in series with the motor 41 by I wires 75, 76 and 77. The wires 76 and 77 extend to terminals 78 of contact brushes engaging collector rings 79 mounted on an insulation' tube 80 supported on the stand 5.

The terminals 78 with thebrushes are mounted in a sleeve 81 rotatively fitted on a circular shoulder 82. The carriage 35 has a rod 83 hinged to it at one end and passing at the other end through a hole in a lug 84 on the sleeve 81. This rod forms a connecting link between the carriage and the sleeve 81 causing the latter to turn on the tubular support 5 when the carriage is moved on the rail 33. Wires (insulated leads) 85 and 86 extend from the collector rings to the outside of the machine and are connected with a source'of electric current through a suitable switch (not shown). .An additional switch 87I is located at the base of the tube 5 in the lead 85 and is adapted to be closed by the end of the plunger 4 at the end of its downward travel. 'I'he end of the the motor 41. With this arrangement the motor carriage, riding on the rail 33, drags with it all the upper carriages, in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 2. 'Ihe sprayer 23 is located between the ilrst two brushes 18. The third and the last brush may be made of cloth discs as a buillng cylinder vfor nal polishing of the shoe. It may be rotated independently of the main motor, by an individual air turbine 105, receiving the compressed air through the pipe 106 from the pipe 25, and exhausting through the pipe 107. The exhaust air, which is still under high pressure, can be used for operating the air cylinders 15 and even the sprayer. A blower 108 is also located on the shaft 17' of the bufilng brush 18'. Its intake 109 is connected with a pipe 110 placed alongside the brush and provided with numerous holes 111 for sucking the dust oil the brush. An additional pipe 112 connects the exhaust with similar cleaning pipes if they are also installed at the other brushes. A dust box 113 collects the dust from the brushes and must be cleaned periodically. The rail 10 is bent in its front portion around the toe of the shoe so as to raise and to incline the brush as shown in Fig. 1 in order to 100 make it follow the shape of the toe portion of the shoe.

'Ihe sprayer 23 also follows the shape of the, shoe, and'its position opposite the toe is shown with dotted lines in Fig. 1. cFor tightening the belt 20 an idler pulley or roller 114 is supported on an arm pivoted on one of the carriages 1 2. A

lspring 116 keeps the arm under tension so as to plunger 4 also engages a lug 88 on a shaft 89 rotatively mounted in brackets 90 and provided with lugs 91 on its ends. These lugs are pivotally connected with links 92 connected with horizontal linksl 93 pivoted to bars 94. 'I'he lower ends of these bars are hinged in brackets 95, and the upper ends are hinged to cover plates 96 sliding between the rails 97. -The outer edges of the plates are connected with the upper edges of the side walls of the housing by pieces of exible, preferably rubberized cloth 98, forming one or several folds. The inner edges of the plates have recesses 99 around the foot above the shoe 3, and are provided with flexible strips 100 adapted to snugly flt the ankle when the foot with the shoe is placed on the platform 2 and the latter is lowered. Springs 101 tend to keep the bars 94 apart thereby opening the plates 96 so as to facilitate the insertion f the foot.

A flexible pipe 25 connects the air tank 39 with the sprayers, branching out to the pipes 21 for the air cylinders of the brushes. All the carriages 12 are connected together by flexible links 102, and the ilrst carriage is also connected with the motor carriage 35 by a rod 103 pivoted to the carriage 12 and sliding in a hole in a lug 104 on keep the belt 20 tight.

The operation of my machine is as follows.

When the machine is not used, the switch 87 is disconnected, and the bar 67 is moved to the right by the spring 74. The valve 64 being closed and the valves 62 and 63 open, the dressing liquid from the well 40 illlsthe metering well 61. The 115 air from the tank 89 is exhausted through the vent 72, so that all the cylinders 15 move against the piston under action of the retrieving springs 14', and the brushes 18 and 18' are moved away from the platform 2, thereby leaving suflicient room for the users foot Awith the shoe to be inserted into the machine, the top plates 96 being also moved open by the springs 101.

When the foot is placed on the platform and the latter depressed, the end of the plunger 4 de- 125 presses the lug 88 thereby turning the shaft 89 and moving together the bars 94 through the links 92 and 93, thereby closing the cover plates around the foot above the shoe. The flexible strips 100 become pressed against the stockinged portion of the foot above the shoe so as to protect the stocking from the sprayed liquid. At the end of the travel of the plunger 4 the switch 87 becomes closed thereby connecting the motor 41 and' the magnet 69 with the source of electric current through the collector rings 79 and contact brushes of the terminals 78. o

The energized magnet moves the bar 67 to the left, thereby closing the valve 63 and disconnecting the well 61 from the reservoir 40. The valve 64 is opened permitting the liquid from the well 61 to flow intothe sprayer. The valve .63 connects the well 61 with the air tank 39. The latter contains now compressed air fromthe compressor 51, and the air forces the liquid from the well 61 -into the pipe 24. The vent 72 becomes closed. At the same time the carriage 35 begins to move on the rail 33 by the action of the cogwheel 58 engaging the rack`59. The front brush 18 cleans the shoe from the dust, thesboe is then 15u sprayed by the sprayer 23 with the dressing liquid, then the shoe is polished by the second brush 18, and, finally, is'given a glossy iinish by the buffing brush 18'. The spraying ceases when the well 61 is emptied, the brushes continuing to circulate around the shoe and polishing it as long as the foot rests on the platform 2. While all three brushes may be operated by the belt 20, the buiiing brush may be preferably rotated by the air turbine in order to obtain high rotational speed. The pulleys or rollers 19 are made sui ciently Wide so as to retain the belt 20 with different inclinations of the shafts 1'7.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a shoe shining machine, the combination with a platform forl a shoe, of an endless rail around said platform, a plurality of .carriages slidably supported on said rail, cylindrical brushes rotatively supported on said carriages, a sprayer supported on one of said carriages, means to deliver dressing liquid and compressed air to said sprayer, means to rotate said brushes, means to move said carriages on said rail around said platform, means to move said brushes into operative engagement with said shoe, and means to retrieve said brushes when said rotating means is inoperative.

2. In a shoe shining machine, the combination with a platform for a shoe, of an endless rail around said platform, carriages movably supported-on said rail, rotary brushes on said car-l ply dressing liquid to said sprayer, turbines operatively connected with said brushes and adapted to be operated by saidl compressed air, air blowers adapted to be operated by said turbines, and means to clean said brushes b v the suction from said blowers.

3. In a shoe shining machine, the combination with a platform for a shoe, of an endless rail around said platform, a plurality of carriages on said rail, brushes rotatively vsupported on' said carriages, a sprayer on one of said carriages'for a dressing liquid, said brushes being adapted to shine said shoe, an electric motor adapted to rotate said brushes and to move said carriages around said shoe, a carriage for said motor, a second endless rail around said platform for said motor, means to `move said ,motor carriage on'said second rail, and sliding electrical contacts on said platform for said motor.

4. In a shoe shining machine, the combination with a platform for a shoe, of an endless rail around said platform, carriages movably supported on said rail, sliding brackets on said carriages, rotary brushes supported on said brackets,

means to rotate said brushes and to move said carriages on said rail, said brackets adapted to slide in a direction toward said platform, means to retrieve said brackets, and means to move said brackets with said brushes toward said shoe, said last named means being adapted to be operative when said brush rotating means is operative.

JACOB T. UnEN. 

